ABS and After Market ABS in India – Explained in Detail

As we all know in layman terms that ABS which simply means Anti-Locking Braking System will prevent the rear or the front wheel or both in some case from locking up which if fails, ends in a catastrophic disaster. As the ABS scene in India seen recently is available in only two bikes within the 250cc category one being the Honda CBR 250R and the other in TVS Apache RTR 180, what are the options we are left with for the bikes that we use on regular basis that is equipped with disc brake set-up? Before we dive into the available options in the local market off the shelves, being a deep dive session, let’s see what is ABS first.

What is ABS?

ABS, Acronym for Anti-locking braking system, is a complex technology in a motorcycle or a car that can help reduce the speed or stop the vehicle in an emergency situation without locking either of the two wheels or even all the four in case of cars. This is achieved by using speed sensors that is attached to the wheels that continuously monitor the wheel rotation speed and sends the data to the braking ECU which is in turn connected to the hydraulic unit that adjusts the hydraulic pressure of the brake fluid inside accordingly. All these are carried out without a fuss which momentarily reduces the excess brake pressure applied by the rider enabling the wheels to sill rotate continuously in spite of the hard braking and all these happens in less than a wink of an eye.
In short motorcycle ABS works by constantly measuring wheel speed with the help of sensors attached and adjusts the brake fluid pressure. If the wheel speed sensor detects that a wheel is about to lock itself, the pressure on the hose is reduced by a complex algorithm running on various on-board electronics that takes care of the wheel locking part. During a normal ride, the rider wouldn’t notice all these complexity of the functioning of various components involved in the ABS system. However in an emergency braking situation which is otherwise panic braking, one can be confident that the wheels wouldn’t lock up giving the rider a taste of the tarmac.

Can ABS System Purchased separately?

The answer is yes. But there are certain hitches in that too! As India being a mass commuter two wheeler segment market, no manufacturer will come forward to produce the ABS system according to the tailored needs of each motorcycle. So, it’s better to buy a motorcycle that has factory fitted ABS system which would have been tested rigorously by the motorcycle manufacturer as an integrated part of the motorcycle itself. 

So what are we left with?

These are the options that we are left with;

1. Either buy a Bike that has factory fitted ABS system (Either Honda or a TVS) or
2. Look out for Mechanical ABS systems 

Mechanical ABS Systems? What are they?

In the Electronic Version of the ABS system that uses a lot of sensors to overcome wheel lock-up, the Mechanical ABS on the other hand is simpler in construction and as well to understand their working. In mechanical ABS, the entire unit designed houses a valve which modulates the braking power taken over by the brake fluid by simply relaxing the pressure that goes to the piston from the caliper. In simpler terms: the excess pressure applied on the lever which in turn travels through the brake hose is reduced by the mechanical unit that site between the hose and the caliper. The same is achieved by a series of pulsating effect that slows down the wheel lock-up time.
As the Mechanical system does not calculate speed by sensors and does not have the complex electronics involved, the perfection of a proper electronic ABS same can never be achieved in the mechanical ABS. However a significant improvement in braking can be achieved because of the mechanical unit.

Is Mechanical ABS Units available in India?

            The bad news; there are plenty of Chinese copies available in the market for as low as 400 rupees, be assured that it is as good as stock brakes minus ABS. The Good news is that an Indian company that manufacturers these unit under the name of SaferideABS has made quite a stir in the braking segment with their mechanical systems that are available for sale from them directly.
The more good news is that SaferideABS can be installed in almost all the motorbikes manufactured in India except a very few which has been listed in their site for reference purposes. 

Got it. Now What?

The installation also has been kept simple in mind that one can purchase the same, go to any workshop or an Authorized service centre who knows the basics of disc brakes and get it installed in a clean way. For bikes in warranty the installation of the same mostly will not void warranty as this doesn’t require any splicing of wires or modifying any OEM part. For Do-It-Yourself guys, there is also installation procedures listed in their website for easy reference. The only thing one needs to make sure and take observations is that there shouldn’t be any air bubbles in the hose that can lead to a very inconsistent braking performance that can never be relied upon not only with mechanical ABS, but even with those expensive C-ABS kits. A proper brake line bleeding will solve the inconsistent braking issues faced.
Once the installation is carried out in a healthy way, the only things one need to worry about is that one should not pump the brakes as this causes excessive reverse pulsating effect that eventually causes jerks, additionally the rider may also experience a rapid pulsation of the brake lever caused due to the excess pressure traveling backwards which would feel almost like the brakes are pushing back the leg or the hand when applied which is pretty normal and the same feedback can be used to assure that the mechanical ABS unit is functioning properly.

SaferideABS in a Nutshell?

• Prevents wheel locking-up in whichever wheel it is installed
• Reduces braking distance up to 30%
• Minimizes loss of control and loss of direction in panic braking situations
• Can be installed in almost all motorcycles manufactured in India and
• Simple in construction which means easy on the pockets too

Things to know before buying a Used Motorcycle

Not everyone can afford to buy a new motorcycle in their fist year of joining a job that pays them on the basis of a fresher who has just entered college finishing their high schooling and it is also not always about new bikes being better than the used ones. Blame the perception here for an instance.

In India although used bikes doesn’t strike the right chord with the buyers as it’s mostly seen negative, there are several instances where a used bike has proven itself a lot worthier for the money spent on it rather than a shiny one parked in the showroom waiting to be rolled down the ramp. Who knows one could strike an ultimate deal for a pre-worshipped bike that has been taken care of, very seriously posing a great threat to the new ones and envy to buyers who always swear on new motorcycles being the best. Although I completely agree the feel that a new motorcycle enthrals its owner with, what would one do whose looking for a Yamaha RX series now? Other than to buy it pre-worshipped, there’s no way around.
Although not everyone can think in terms of business and strike the right deal. There are also people inviting into the pit of nightmares which begins to encircle the buyer once the deal is closed. To be on the safer side for the guys who are looking out for pre-worshipped bikes and as a guide of pointers, let me put what I’ve learnt all these years about the topic that is being discussed now.
The First and foremost thing being the bike itself that takes the centre stage, it is better that the buyer is on his own in inspecting the bike himself for the loop holes and definitely not rely someone who he hardly knows. It is also advisable to read plenty about the bike that he/ she been squared down to which enables the buyer to be more specific about the bike rather than being generic. Some very important pointers to look out for when buying a used motorcycle in your own local region that you belong to;

• Check the Papers of the vehicle, which to be very specific will be the Registration Certificate and the Insurance papers are valid and have not expired which in a case of an exotic like a Jawa belonging to 1970’s might not be which can be compromised at buyers own risk. Make sure the registration certificate carries the correct engine & chassis no. that is punched onto the bike. As this makes sure that the bike isn’t suffering from illegal issues and ensures that the piece of love that you’ve been looking for is pretty legitimate.

• Call up the Insurance agency the bike is registered to and with the help of a little Rapport that you create instantly with them, try and track down if any major claims/ accidents have been registered in the name of the owner or in the registration no. of the bike. This will make sure that the owner is not pushing you a troublesome salvage bike that might have its own legal issues once bought.

• Avoid a modified Motorcycle as modification in India is not as clean as it is seen abroad. Also modified motorcycle can also be a sign of an abused motorcycle that was modified from its original state to take some amount of abuse for whatever reason the owner did it with. Also modified motorcycles will be a Cop/ RTO authority magnet. It’s always better to be subtle than to shout out crying for unwanted attention.

• The frame, forks, engine casings and the fuel tank are the most expensive parts housed in a motorcycle excluding the engine itself. A detailed inspection of the above said things will save you a lot of money in terms of maintenance as damaged forks or fork oil seals or even a leaky tank that leaks once the kick stand is on will again drill a hole in the pocket after the deal is closed that puts a lot of financial pressure to the potential buyer.

• After the bike is visually inspected and when you’re satisfied, proceed to firing the engine. For a safer side, request the owner to start the bike. Keep the bike idling in stationary position. Listen to the engine idle, sharp ears and a good knowledge about Motors will be of a great help. If not pls. call your best mentor in the Automotive field whom you can trust with their decisions and rely them for the final verdict. In general, make sure the bike doesn’t let out too much of exhaust smoke in case of a 4 Stroke and if does, be prepared to look out for other options as a damaged cylinder kit will again cost you thousands additionally.

• If everything goes alright with respect to the engine idle, request the owner to rev up a little and inspect the same. If ok, ask the owner for a small test drive and pls. be polite to take him along if he insists as he would also feel that you are a complete stranger to him. Mutual respect is sincerely advised in this case.

• If something goes wrong or if you feel something is wrong during the test ride, pls. feel free to ask the owner about the same. With the answers given by the owner one can be clearly judge the intentions of the seller. Either it should be a legitimate sale or pushing off a rusted piece of metal.

•  The final stage being the owner and the negotiation part, make sure the owner feels as important as the vehicle itself that you’ve been looking out for. With that kind of feeling subjected to, the owner of-course will be very co-operative in answering almost any question that you throw at him right from the free services availed to the last repair and accident history carried out recently.

• Coming to the negotiations, make sure you enquire the local market price with respect to the year of manufacturing before you offer your deal. Be very polite in the offers and please avoid low balling as much as possible as most of the owners who have kept their machines in spanking conditions wanting to sell do not part them only because of the need for money. They might look out for better homes to put their long trusted steed in.

MTT developing a new Y2K motorcycle?

The Y2K is perhaps, one of the most famous motorcycles among the biking circles. With its turbine propelled power delivery, a high shrill whine noise and blisteringly fast speeds, it definitely made an impression in the minds of any on-looker. Made by Marine Turbine Technologies (MTT), the bike packs a Rolls-Royce Allison 250-Series gas turbine engine, one which is usually found in helicopters. The bike, being unveiled in the year 2000, gets its name- Y2K. The gas turbine engine churned out a peak power of 320 BHP at a claimed 54,000 RPM! however, it is surprising to note that the bike, with its heavy turbine engine weighed even less than the Suzuki Hayabusa.

With 320 BHP on tap, performance was just taking off like a rocket. It hit a top speed of 402 kmph. However, the MTT guys weren’t satisfied with this amount of power and outright speed achieved on a 2 wheeler. So, then went on and brought out a second version- the Y2K Streetfighter. This packed in about 420 BHP of power, had a larger swingarm and thick 240 section rear tires, better cooling system and a much bigger fuel tank. Now, it has been rumoured that the company is working on a new model of the bike and is expected to launch sometime in mid 2013.
This time, underneath MTT is going to use a Rolls-Royce 250 C-20B gas turbine engine with an unknown power delivery figure. The expected top speed is also not known as of yet. Currently, the bike is going extensive wind-tunnel testing to improve on the aerodynamics aspect and also the amount of drag necessary to produce to keep the wheels glued to the road. The current Y2K can be seen at the upcoming India Bike Week that is being held in Goa on 2^nd and 3^rd February.

More details about the working of a turbine engine in a motorcycle in my next article.

Top 3 Bikes To Look Out For In 2013

In totality, the year 2012 was not at all a bad year if we look at the Indian market from the motorcycling aspect. Some most awaited ones like the KTM Duke 200 and Bajaj Pulsar 200NS made waves from the very moment they were launched. Fast forward to 2013, and we have another year ahead of us. And it is a pleasure to say that if 2012 was good, 2013 is going to be much, much better. Although the Indian automotive industry overall is pegged to grow at a meagre of 1 to 2% this fiscal, that will not stop at least the motorcycle manufacturers to land their new products and iterations on the Indian soil. Here is a quick peek at the most expected and awaited ones for this year:

KTM Duke 390

Another KTM this year too. And this time is up in the displacement ladder. Yes, it is the KTM Duke 390. Ever since KTM has announced of such a motorcycle in the making, it has made us more anxious and restless. After all, the KTM 390 will be producing close to 45 PS of peak power. Combine that with a kerb weight of just 136kgs and you start getting the mad picture here! Moreover, unlike typical KTM, it is rumoured that this bike will be fully faired. The KTM 390 Duke will be sharing the same chassis as the Duke 200. Bookings are expected to start sometime in May June at a price of about Rs. 2.5 lakhs (ex-showroom).
Bajaj Auto might follow suit with its Pulsar 390 edition, plonking the same engine from the KTM 390 with perhaps the touch of triple spark (or will it be quad-sparked this time?) technology for smoother power delivery, more uniform burning of fuel and better fuel economy. Bajaj Auto has confirmed that a higher displacement Pulsar is in the works and is to be expected this year. It will surely be a tad cheaper than the Duke 390. Expect it to hit the market in the bracket of Rs. 1.7 to 2 lakhs (ex-showroom).

Kawasaki Ninja 300

This is the replacement for the current Ninja 250. Kawasaki will be discontinuing the sale of Ninja 250 and replace it with something much better- the Ninja 300. This bike has already been launched in some international markets and it has received rave reviews from all over. For the Ninja 300, it is a completely new improved package. The engine is bigger with new pistons, new cylinder head, lower compression, stiffer chassis, re-tuned ECU and what not. Not to mention the improved edgy styling. It will also come with ABS, a feature that was missing in the current Ninja 250. Expect it to hit the market sometime in mid-2013. We also anticipate that being a totally new package, Bajaj Auto will be retailing the bike at a slightly higher premium, but as long as it stays reasonable, it will be well worth it!

Honda CBR500RR

Honda Motorcycles is going all aggressive in the Indian market off late. One of the recent to come out of their stable is the CBR500. The CBR500 comprises of a fully faired model, a naked one and a cross-tourer. The cross-tourer might not make it to the Indian shores as of now to due to lack of existence of such a market.  The engine underneath will be a 471cc mill making 47 PS of power.

However, what can be expected are the faired and naked versions. What is more is that Honda is planning to heavily localize this model to take advantage of the cost conscious Indian market. Engine components will probably be imported from Thailand. We expect Honda to bring in the model around in September in a price bracket of Rs. 4 lakhs.

BMW K1600 – Adaptive Headlight System

With the adaptive headlight system being a very inviting feature in some of the high end cars that are available in India in recent times, will someone think of the same technology in Motorbikes too? The answer is yes; BMW had come up with an Adaptive Headlight system in their new K 1600 series touring machines as early as 2011 taking it even a step higher than it was before. Although the technology is old in terms of its age, a preview of the complexity involved wouldn’t hurt the petrol heads. Let’s dive…

The Adaptive Headlight System in the K 1600 has a mix of both conventional lighting technology as well as high end intelligent lighting system fused together. The Main beam of the bike is looked after by the conventional way, with a pair of halogen bulbs. The Dipped beam is where the high end electronics play a vital role. The Dipped beam consists of a Xenon projector unit which points upwards at an approximate angle of 45 degrees. With the help of a moving mirror system that is located above, this aims and focuses the light onto the road. The reflector that moves is controlled by a series of stepper motors which are capable of focusing the radiated light in different directions. Further these stepper motors are operated by a headlight management computer which takes a lot of feedback from the bike to adjust the levels on the road.
The Major hurdle all the riders irrespective of tourer’s or sports commuters face is to keep the headlight at the same level regardless of how the bike is loaded For example, if the bike is loaded with a beefy pillion the tendency of the rear shock absorber to dampen will in turn affect the headlight throw pattern which will be pointed onto the eyes of the oncoming vehicles directly. BMW has overcome this by attaching two mechanical sensors in the front and rear suspensions which measure the average amount of suspension travel which is the actual compression at each end. The information fed by these Mechanical sensors will be used by the headlight computer that keeps the headlight reflector at optimum angle to keep the light at the right level enough for a good spread on the road which ensures the oncoming drivers are not blinded with the light hitting directly on their eyes.

This is not the end of the technology here; BMW has gone a step further by fixing a solid state, on-board gyroscope which feeds the headlight computer with bikes lean angle data, which in turn instructs the stepper motors to turn the reflector in the other direction. By this tilting of the reflector, the headlight beam is focused in the other direction just enough to compensate for the bikes lean angle which is capable of carrying out up to 25 degrees in each direction. The headlight computer is also fed with the speed of the bike travel along with the lean angle data. With these two pieces of information the computer can workout how tight or relaxed the corner is. For example -20 degrees lean angle at 80 Mph means a much broader curve than a 20 degrees lean at 20 Mph. Computing this data the computer then turns the headlight into the left or right, to light up as much of the road ahead as possible. The same can be done by up to 15 degrees from the straight ahead, and it happens at the same time as the beam is being kept level.

An overall neat touch is the headlight Computers ability to switch to right hand drive roads from the dash at the comfort of a soft touch button with just a down side that the adaptive lean ability will no longer work, which when works will give the oncoming riders their worst nightmare.